Buttermilk strawberry shortcake

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 6. Put the strawberries in a bowl and stir in half the 1 tbsp caster sugar. Set aside to macerate for about 15 minutes or so until the berries have softened slightly and released a little of their juice.

2. Next, make the shortcakes. Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Add the 2 tbsp sugar and the salt. Cut in the cold butter with a round-bladed knife until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly stir in the egg and buttermilk/milk, ensuring you don’t overwork the dough. Roll or pat out the dough on a floured board to about 2cm thick. Flour the cutter and cut out 4 circles. Gently gather together the leftover dough and pat out again, if necessary, to make the final shortcake.

3. Transfer the shortcakes to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven, then transfer to a cooling rack.

4. Whip the double cream with the remaining sugar in a mixing bowl until it forms very soft, floppy peaks. Cut the shortcakes in half and top with a generous dollop of the cream, a pile of strawberries and a spoonful of the strawberry juices. Top with the other half of the shortcake and eat straightaway.